Mobility

Mobility, Analytics Can Help Nonprofits Meet Fundraising Goals [#Infographic]

As they search for new donors and ways to keep existing donors engaged, nonprofits need to use technology to meet their supporters where they are.

Phil Goldstein

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Phil Goldstein is a former web editor of the CDW family of tech magazines and a veteran technology journalist. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and their animals: a dog named Brenna, and two cats, Grady and Princess.

Giving Tuesday has passed, and citizens worldwide are helping those in need by donating more: In that 24-hour period earlier this week, online donations to nonprofit organizations reached a record $168 million, up 44 percent from $117 million in 2015, according to the 92nd Street Y in New York City, which is credited for launching the event in 2012.

Yet nonprofits focus on fundraising throughout the year, and need to find ways to get existing donors to keep contributing while they attract new donors. Nonprofits are much likelier to receive additional gifts from existing donors, according to Nonprofit Hub, an online educational community for nonprofits.

How can nonprofits boost donations? One way is to improve donor data — poor data can lead to lost opportunities; if a donor’s email address is incorrect he or she won’t receive requests for donations. Another method is to make it easy for donors to give: Allow them to connect wherever they are and however they want.

For example, millennials and Gen Xers tend not to carry as much cash and prefer to give online, according to a 2016 study by Abila, which provides software for nonprofits. That means that nonprofits need to use reach users with mobile technology —either on smartphones or mobile payment terminals.

Check out the infographic below to see how nonprofits can use mobility and other IT initiatives to boost donations. And read this CDW white paper to find out how technology plays an important role in a productive fundraising campaign.